Spiritualizing the Internet: Exploring Modern Buddhism and the Online Buddhist World

Canadian Journal of Buddhist Studies ISSN 1710-8268 https://thecjbs.org/ Number 14, 2019 Spiritualizing the Internet: Exploring Modern Buddhism and the Online Buddhist World Rutika Gandhi University of Lethbridge Copyright Notice: Digital copies of this work may be made and distributed provided no change is made and no alteration is made to the content. Re- production in any other format, with the exception of a single copy for private study, requires the written permission of the author. Spiritualizing the Internet: Exploring Modern Buddhism and the Online Buddhist World Rutika Gandhi UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE Abstract Through the discussion of digital religion, modern Bud- dhism, and two different online platforms, this article argues that religious activities or debates on the Internet mirror those in the real or the offline world. This paper fo- cuses on two different aspects of the online Buddhist reality: virtual worlds which may be experienced through avatars, and a web forum that claims to be universally Bud- dhist. By taking Second Life and the E-Sangha forum as ex- amples, this paper argues that in addition to exhibiting features of modern Buddhism, online religious performative acts also raise important questions about Buddhist identity, authority, and authenticity. Keywords: Second Life, E-Sangha, virtual worlds, fo- rums, Internet, modern Buddhism 2 Gandhi, Spiritualizing the Internet Introduction In her book, Give me that Online Religion, Brenda E. Brasher stated that “us- ing a computer for online religious activity . could become the dominant form of religion and religious experience in the next century.”1 This seems like a plausible statement, since various religious traditions were visible online through different users and platforms. For instance, sites like “Virtual Jerusalem” allowed users to partake in pilgrimage activities like placing prayers via webcam and e-mail services.2 However, Heidi Campbell suggests that “the features of religion online closely mirror changes within the practice of religion in contemporary society.”3 The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how the online Buddhist world also exhibits some important features of what defines “modern Buddhism,” as termed by Donald S. Lopez.4 Additionally, Campbell highlights the im- portance of “identities, shifting authority, convergent practice, and mul- tisite reality,” which are important aspects of online religion.5 Many of these features are also related to modernist Buddhist movements. The re- construction or reclamation of Buddhist identity and space is an integral part of modern Buddhism, and the use of online avatars or virtual bodies, as well as online profiles, enable users to reclaim or reconstruct their identities on the Internet; consequently, shifts in authority and claims to authenticity become important topics of discussion. 1 Brenda E Brasher, Give Me That Online Religion (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2001), 19. 2 Heidi A Campbell, “Introduction: The Rise of the Study of Digital Religion, ” in Digital Religion: Understanding Religious Practice in New Media Worlds, ed. Heidi A. Campbell (New York: Routledge, 2013), 6. 3 “Understanding the Relationship between Religion Online and Offline in a Networked Society,” Journal of the American Academy of Religion 80.1 (2012): 65. 4 Donald S Lopez, A Modern Buddhist Bible: Essential Readings from East and West (Boston, MA: Beacon Press, 2002), 161. 5 Campbell, “Understanding the Relationship between Religion Online and Offline in a Networked Society,” 65. Canadian Journal of Buddhist Studies, Number 14 3 As Gregory Price Grieve argues, “digital religion” is unique and can be marked by three important characteristics. First, it is experienced through a particular form of digital or new media, which may include things like digital audio or video, computer or video games, websites, e- mail, and even social media sites.6 Secondly, Grieve argues that digital religion is tied to a particular “technological ideology of new media,” which is seen as revolutionary and “tied to the triumph of human creativity and freedom over dogma and blind tradition.”7 Finally, Grieve argues that the online religious practices are often “workarounds” which help people cope with “the conditions of living in a world full of ambiguity and change, representing a ‘liquid modern life.’”8 He suggests that when practitioners meditate through online virtual worlds, there may be a chance that there are not enough traditional opportunities or locations to meditate in the offline world. Thus, it cannot be inferred that online religious activities are simply traditional religious practices transferred online, or that it re- places or transforms the religious traditions in a drastic way. However, studying online religious activities may help us understand how the online religious communities are affected by the daily debates and changes that are occurring in the offline or the “real” world. It may seem a little odd that Buddhists have also migrated to the Internet for either a sense of community or for personal practices, such as meditation or performing religious rituals. There seems to be a wide- spread view of Buddhism as critical of consumerism9 and capitalism (which may be tied to the use of technology). One may assume that forms 6 Gregory Price Grieve, “Religion,” in Digital Religion: Understanding Religious Practice in New Media Worlds, ed. Heidi A. Campbell (New York: Routledge, 2013), 108. 7 Grieve, “Religion,” 109. 8 Grieve, “Religion,” 109.. 9 See “Smokey the Bear Sutra” by Gary Snyder. Also, see Jeremy Carrette and Richard King, Selling Spirituality: The Silent Takeover of Religion (New York: Routledge, 2005). 4 Gandhi, Spiritualizing the Internet of Buddhism that wholly embrace modern technology are most likely cor- rupt. One may even ask: “is this really Buddhism?” However, these mat- ters are not so black and white. In fact, Daniel Veidlinger argues that more than any other religions, Buddhist philosophy has dealt with the question of reality extensively, “and as such is a potent source for thinking about the nature of virtual reality.”10 Veidlinger points out one of the most important concepts in Buddhism—the anatman or no-self doctrine, which re- jects a focus on a fixed soul or self. He suggests that Buddhism allows for the various identities that are formed over the Internet (through virtual world realities or even social media sites) due to its emphasis on the im- permanence of a “self.”11 Additionally, he suggests that due to its emphasis on “upaya, or skillful means,” Buddhism allows for unorthodox practices.12 He suggests that since digital religion is in constant flux, it is compatible with the Buddhist point of view.13 Moreover, Veidlinger suggests that the Buddhist notion of pratītyasamutpāda, or dependent origination, corre- sponds well with the nature of the Internet itself. The Internet allows users to affect each other in some way, even if they may not be in close prox- imity.14 Thus, the assertion that Buddhism and modernity are incompati- ble overlooks the fact that digital technology, modernity, and Buddhism itself, are always evolving. 10 Daniel Veidlinger, “Introduction,” in Buddhism, the Internet, and Digital Media: The Pixel in the Lotus, ed. Gregory Price Grieve and Daniel Veidlinger (New York: Routledge, 2015), 3. 11 Daniel Veidlinger, “The Madhyama is the Message: Internet Affordance of Anatman and Pratitya Samutpada,” in Buddhism, the Internet and Digital Media: The Pixel in the Lotus, ed. Gregory Price Grieve and Daniel Veidlinger (New York: Routledge, 2015), 120. 12 Veidlinger, “Introduction,” 3. 13 Veidlinger, “Introduction,” 3. 14 Veidlinger, “The Madhyama is the Message,” 118. Canadian Journal of Buddhist Studies, Number 14 5 Modern Buddhism Like many other religious forms and traditions, Buddhism has been com- pelled to responding to the principles of modernity. Buddhist modernism, according to David L. McMahan, “refers to the various forms of Buddhism that have been significantly shaped by an engagement with the dominant cultural and intellectual forces of modernity.”15 Among the many features that may define this term, McMahan suggests that this form of Buddhism is not bound by geography or location. Additionally, Lopez states that this particular sect of Buddhism is a transnational one “that transcends cultural and natural boundaries, creating . a cosmopolitan network of in- tellectuals, writing most often in English.”16 Among the various ways that “Modern Buddhism,” has transcended local and national boundaries is through the use of the Internet as a platform for its activities. In addition to its emphasis on the compatibility of the scientific view and Buddhism, the use of technology has become a creative and interactive form of es- tablishing a sangha, or community, universally. 17 Two important cases will be considered throughout this paper: first is the virtual world of Second Life, founded in 2003, which is a 3-Di- mensional, “Internet-based virtual world that allows users to create a virtual representation, or avatar, to social network with others and collabo- ratively create their own virtual spaces;”18 and secondly, a Buddhist web 15David L. McMahan, “Buddhist Modernism,” in Buddhism in the Modern World, ed. David L. McMahan (New York: Routledge, 2012), 160. 16 Lopez, Buddhist Bible, xxxix. 17 McMahan, “Buddhist Modernism,” 161-162. 18 Yu Chih Huang et al., “Exploring the Implications of Virtual Reality Technology in Tourism Marketing: An Integrated Research Framework,” International Journal of Tourism Research 18, no. 2 (2016): 116. 6 Gandhi, Spiritualizing the Internet forum known as the E-Sangha, which was an online space where different members could discuss their beliefs or ideas with reference to Buddhism. Before delving into the virtual world of Second Life, or the E-Sangha, it is important to understand the context within which such a form of Bud- dhism emerged. Despite certain preconceived notions, Asian agency has also played an important role in global or modern Buddhism, and it is not merely a product of Western discourses of modernity.19 As McMahan suggests, “the first moves in the ‘modernization’ of Buddhism were made .

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